4: Rival

"W-Well, I'm off to catch more Dolls!" Maribel said before running off.

"Not So Fast."

Maribel jolted to a stop and slowly turned around.

"Take a seat." Rikako said, gesturing to the seat that laid before her.

Maribel gulped and obediently sat down.

"Well then. Would you like to explain why you, the person I appointed to CATCH Dolls have badges?"

"B-But-"

"I will not hear your excuses!" Rikako cried, "It's because you want to beat Gyms that you're neglecting your work as a Doll catcher! I demand that you return to your work immediately!"

"Yes..."

"So how'd it go?" I asked as Maribel came back with my Dolldex.

"As well as you'd expect." Maribel sniffed.

"Then you're not allowed to go battle Gyms anymore huh?"

Maribel nodded.

"...What's it like fighting in a Gym?"

Maribel's eyes lit up, "Oh, it's amazing! The Gym leader's Dolls are like a whole new world compared to regular trainers! They're so well trained and they have Dolls that you've never seen before! OH! I know! Renko, you should go fight one! The nearest one is in the next town!"

"I'd rather no-"

"Actually that's a good idea." Rikako said, coming online again, "If you're planning to defeat an entire shrine, you should fight some Gyms to test your power."

"How do you conveniently come on when something interesting is going on?" I frowned.

"The Dolldex transmits any conversations to me."

"Hey, that's an invasion of privacy!"

"It's my method of keeping tabs on you." Rikako crossed her arms, "Reimu can keep track of you with CReimu."

"Why is everyone spying on me?" I sighed.

"Why don't you want to fight Gyms?" Maribel frowned as she played with CMarisa.

"I just don't think I need to."

"That's awfully confident of you." CReimu frowned.

"It's just a shrine." I said as I fed CTokiko, "How hard can it be?"

"Looks like you don't know the true power of Mikos." CReimu smirked, "Very well. I'll show you right now!"

CReimu threw an ofuda at me. It flapped pathetically against the wind and floated to the ground.

…

"Looks like you're not at that level yet." CMarisa smirked.

CReimu punched her.

"A-Anyway." Maribel said as she let CMarisa run off with CReimu after her, "If you really don't want to go to Gyms, you can get a rival."

"Rival?" I frowned.

"Yeah. Someone to motivate you to become stronger." Maribel smiled.

"Sounds annoying."

"Do you want o get stronger or not?"

"Why are we here?" I sighed as I wandered the town's streets.

"To search for a rival." Maribel smiled.

"Why?"

"Because you're going to need one if you want to take down a shrine."

"I still don't see how troublesome it would be." I said, giving a side glance towards the CReimu standing on my shoulder.

"Ha! Ha! Ha!"

"It's not working." CMarisa sighed, long since bored of this exercise.

"Shut up!" CReimu gasped as she continued to throw her ofudas, "I WILL succeed at this!"

"Sure." CMarisa yawned, "Hey. Maribel."

"Yes?"

"Can I go back to my Orb? I feel like taking a nap."

"You're not going anywhere!" CReimu ordered, "I need someone to practice on!"

"Can't I switch with CMystia?"

"No!"

"Mmm...There's no one here that really stands out huh?" Maribel sighed.

"Told you." I said as CReimu continued to throw ofudas at CMarisa from across the table.

"Mmmmmmm...One more time!"

"Again?" I said, exasperated, "Can't I just have you as a rival?"

"Of course not. We're friends aren't we?"

I didn't have an answer to that and pulled my hat down a bit.

CTokiko scanned the crowed from above before she began to return.

"I really don't think this'll work." I sighed as CTokiko landed on my head again.

"So?" Maribel asked, ignoring me, "What did you find?"

"Tweet~"

"Really?" CMarisa said, mildly surprised.

"What?" Maribel asked, hopefully.

"CTokiko says the only interesting thing she found was a guy in a white suit."

"Well that tells us so much." I rolled my eyes.

CTokiko peered over the brim off my hat with a disappointed look.

"Ah, n-no, you did a good job."

"Tweet~" CTokiko chirped as she got back up and fell asleep.

"So anyway...Would you stop that already?" CMarisa cried.

"No way!" CReimu said as she continued to throw ofudas at her.

"Where do you get these things?"

"I guess we can continue searching another day." Maribel sighed, "Then...let's get some provisions and think about what to do next."

"4 Miko Orbs please." Maribel said, "And about 10 Potions. Renko, aren't you going to buy something?"

"What's there to buy?" I asked.

"Lots of things." She said, "Come on. I'll pay for it."

"But I don't want anything."

"Why not?"

"I have enough Miko Orbs and I don't plan on catching anymore than 6."

"What about Potions?"

"But Centers heal them for free right?"

"B-But-"

"I agree with the lady." A passerby said, "You should be prepared for everything."

"Thank you." Maribel said, turning around.

"..."

"..."

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Y-You're-" Maribel stuttered.

"Is this the man in the white suit you were talking about?"

CTokiko looked up and chirped happily.

"L-L...Lady Maribel!" The man bowed deeply, "I-It is truly a relief to see you doing so well!"

"A-Alfred!" Maribel cried, "I-I didn't think I'd see you again!"

"No doubt since you ran away from home." Alfred said, indignantly pushing his glasses up.

"T-That's..."

"No matter." Alfred said, "Lady Maribel, you will return with me to see your family."

"EH? Y-You can't do that Alfred!"

"Why ever not?"

"B-Because...I-I have to help Renko!"

"I never really asked for your help..."

"Renko!"

"You see my Lady?" Alfred said, giving me a disgusted look, "A Lady of your caliber cannot be understood by the plebeian mass. You kindness is so ignorantly ignored by a boy such as him."

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Take a look at yourself!" Alfred said pointing at me, "Those plain clothes. That look of utter confusion! Take a look at your Dolls as well! One is littering and the other is sleeping upon your very head with no regards to society!"

CReimu and CTokiko looked up, none too happy.

"A-Alfred..."

"My Lady, surely you know better to hang around with...people like this."

"That's it." CReimu said, "Somebody stop me. I'm going to beat this guy up."

CTokiko looked none too forgiving either.

"You wish to do battle?" Alfred smirked, "Well, a formal challenge must be issued then. This is the way true men do-"

"Challenge huh?" I said, "I was ready to let you go since you're Maribel's maid...but it seems like my Dolls won't let it go either. So you on."

I reached into my bag and found a book.

"Well I don't have a glove, but..."

I threw the book at him, hitting him at the same time that CReimu threw an ofuda and CTokiko threw a feather.

"...I'm not a maid."

Butler Alfred wants to do battle!

"Perhaps you should count yourself lucky." Alfred smirked once we were outside, "All I have are caretaker Dolls. Though they should be sufficient enough."

"We'll see." I said.

CTokiko dropped from my hat, swooping low to the ground before taking a sharp turn up, standing confidently in the air.

"Such needless flair." Alfred smirked, "Go, my Doll, Fairy."

A small Fairy maid appeared and bowed.

"For all your talk about needless flair, you did that twirl before throwing your orb."

"Be silent scum."

"Should we just allow this?" Maribel said from the sidelines.

"I don't see why not." CMarisa smirked.

"...Renko!"

"Huh?"

"Be careful. The housekeeping Dolls aren't meant for battle, but they're enough to drive away wild Dolls."

"Thanks." I frowned, not sure how that information was going to help me.

"Heh. Milady is too kind." Alfred bowed, "She speaks the truth. Even the lowest of our maids are of level 15 or higher."

"Wait. I've seemed to have stopped caring."

"Geh. Fairy, use Tackle. The sooner I get away from this cretin."

Fairy charged, jumping straight at my CTokiko. CTokiko sighed and floated to the left where the attack easily missed.

"Tackle again?" I sighed, "My Dolls have seen that too many times to get hit. Nonetheless, CTokiko, Sand-Attack!"

CTokiko swooped down charging at Fairy before suddenly stopping right in front of her, her wings beating forward to steady her and to throw dust into Fairy's eyes.

"Ah! That's cheap!"

"Not as much as this. CTokiko, switch out! CReimu, go!"

"Heh. I've been waiting for this." CReimu smirked as she took the field.

"Really now? Then let's start out with what you do best."

"Right!"

Flutter...

"...What happened to Pound?"

"Hey, I'm still practicing Ofudas!" CReimu cried.

"Just use Pound."

"Fine! But only since I don't have to use Growl!"

Fairy whimpered as she finally got the dust out of her eyes.

CRASH!

"Fairy! Tackle! I won't allow you to lose to a plebeian like him!"

Fairy struggled up and charged forward again.

"Tackle huh?" CReimu sighed and drew back her fist.

CReimu punched Fairy in the face and sent her reeling out of her Tackle. Before she could recover, CReimu uppercutted her before sending her flying back with another Pound.

"What a boarish Doll." Alfred grimaced as he returned Fairy.

"There." I sighed, "That's my victory."

"Victory?" Alfred smiled evilly, "Is that what you think?"

"Huh?"

"You've never fought against a trainer with more than one Doll?" Alfred smirked as he pulled out another Orb. Then it's too bad for you that this one is special. Go!"

"I don't see the difference." CReimu said as the Doll emerged and bowed, "It's just another maid. She just looks different."

My Dolldex beeped. Onscreen, the data on the enemy was being scanned in.

"...Chibi VITVIT?"

"Whatever! I'm gonna beat her up!" CReimu said, charging.

"CReimu! Wait!"

"CVitVit. Harden."

CVitVit glowed for an instant. When CReimu's attack hit she wasn't blown away. Nor did she even seem hurt. Instead,

"YEOUCH!" CReimu cried, holding her attacking hand in agony, "That was like punching a wall!"

"Can't you usually break walls?" CMarisa called.

"A STEEL wall."

"CReimu! Growl!"

"Geh. Fine. I didn't feel like punching anyway."

CReimu's cry didn't make much of a impact on CVitVit. It mostly ruffled her clothes.

"It's futile." Alfred smirked, "CVitVit...Ember."

CVitVit hand glowed and with a thrust, a salvo of flames shot out.

"Whoa!" CReimu cried, grazing most of them, "Ah!"

"Growl won't do much now." I mused as CReimu patted out the flames on her, "CReimu! Switch! Return to the field, CTokiko!"

"Ember."

Fire shot forward again, barely letting CTokiko settle into the air.

"Sand-Attack!"

CTokiko sent a gust of wind and dust.

"Protect."

The dust settled on a force field that protected CVitVit, leaving Ctokiko's attack to drift to the ground uselessly.

"Ember."

Another blast of flames surged forward and CTokiko panicked. Weaving quickly through the bullets, CTokiko managed to graze most of them before one caught her in the wing. Yelping in pain, she crashed into the ground.

"CTokiko! Gah, return."

"That's one down." Alfred smirked, "So? Are you going to continue with your weakened CReimu?"

"..."

"This looks bad." CMarisa winced, "Should we do something?"

CMarisa glanced towards her trainer, noticing her trembling arms, "...Sigh. I'm not very good at comforting people. But...even if you have to go home...All I can say is that I'm coming with."

CMarisa was surprised when Maribel suddenly hugged her.

I silently sent out CReimu.

"This is bad isn't it?" CReimu frowned.

"Yeah. Your Pound is useless in this situation." I frowned, "We're underleveled, our only offense isn't even worth it against their defense and we can't even dodge her attack since it's a completely new one."

"Nice recap." CReimu said, keeping a wary eye on her opponent, "Help you come up with something?"

"..."

"Are you done?" Alfred asked smugly, "If so I'll be ending this. CVitVit..."

"Gah! There's nothing left! The only thing I can do is attack before she can!"

"Wait!" I cried as CReimu charged.

"Harden."

CReimu's fist collided with CVitVit's hardened exterior. Gritting her teeth in pain, CReimu bore it and swung again with her other arm. It collided with as much result as her last.

"Ghah. I'll break through. I don't care how hard you are, I'll break through!" CReimu cried and unleashed a barrage of punches.

"Tell me." Alfred asked, suddenly serious, "Why do you fight?"

"What?" I said.

"For what reason do you continue with this battle? You know fully well that you can't win. Furthermore I'm only doing what I'm ordered to do. You yourself don't feel too friendly towards my lady. Everything you do is a complete contradiction."

"...Yeah. Yes I know I can't win this battle. I know that you're probably justified for your actions. I know I never really like Maribel tagging along. But if you knew a bit more about me, then you'd know...I have amnesia."

"Amnesia? I feel sorry for you, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"I don't have a history. I only know my name. I don't even know what kind of person I really am. But I think...that I can be whoever I want to be now. I have no idea what I'll become. But right now, I know how important my friends are. And Maribel's my only one."

Maribel looked up.

"Guah!"

"CReimu!" I cried, returning to the battle, "You okay?"

"Barely." CReimu winced, "I think I broke my hands and I still haven't made a dent on that thing."

I glanced at CVitVit. She was completely unharmed by CReimu's punches.

"Any ideas?" CReimu winced as she got back up.

"..."

"I don't know where you learned that kind of nonsense." Alfred said, "But I don't care. Go, CVitVit. Ember."

CVitVit raised her hands fired off a salvo of flames. CReimu tried to stay standing, but her legs quickly gave way and she tumbled to the ground as Ember blasted around her.

"ANY DAY NOW!"

"I DON'T KNOW!" I cried, "Harden increases her defense. If we had a Special Attack Move, can do damage, but we don't!"

"I have my Ofudas." CReimu said as she pulled herself up to a kneel, "But I can't use them."

"It's futile to do anything now." Alfred smirked, "Go. The final Ember."

CReimu watched as CVitVit's hands erupted into flames.

"Dammit. Dammit. Goddammit!" CReimu cried.

BOOM!

"...What happened?"

The dust cleared and we soon got a clearer view of the battlefield. CReimu...was-

"Alive?" Alfred cried, "How?"

"Reimu?" I asked.

CReimu's shoulder shook, "He he. Hey, Renko."

"What?"

"I think I've gotten the hang of this." CReimu grinned as her Ofudas floated around her.

"...Then go." I smiled as I raised my Dolldex, "Seal Needle."

At my command, CReimu's Ofudas flew forward sticking onto CVitVit and then exploding. The smoke cleared to show the first sign of damage we've inflicted.

"W-What?" Alfred cried, "Impossible! CVitVit, Ember!"

CVitVit threw her flames again, but this time, CReimu could shoot all of them down with her own Ofudas.

"Seal Needle."

"Gh. Harden!"

CVitVit glowed as she tried defending, but to no avail as the Ofudas flew through the smoke and blasted her.

"Seal Needle!"

"Protect!"

The force field returned as it protected CVitVit from the Ofudas. But CReimu wasn't going to let up and as the Ofudas continued to blast the force field, it was clearing becoming weaker. It had only been a matter of time before it crumpled. And at that instant, the Ofudas rushed in, covering CVitVit completely before detonating.

"You won." Maribel smiled.

"Not bad." CMarisa smirked.

"Not bad?" CReimu laughed, "You want to taste one of my Ofudas?"

Before she could answer, CReimu had already thrown one at CMarisa. CMarisa smiled as she raised an arm and suddenly shot electricity from her hand, blasting the Ofuda out of the air.

"What the-"

"Thundershock." I noted, "She's already level 7."

"What? I only just reached level 7 and you're telling me she already got there?"

"Thanks to Maribel." CMarisa smiled.

"Grr...Renko! We're going to train at least 50 times a day now!"

"That's a bit excessive."

"Yeah. Do you really think you can handle that?" CMarisa asked.

"Come over here and-"

Both of us returned our Dolls to their Orbs before the fight broke out. For a while we walked in silence.

"So..." Maribel looked away, "W-Where did you learn...what you said to Alfred?"

"You."

"...Oh."